Spring-roller side-curtain construction for automobiles



.L- K. MULFORD.

SPRING ROLLER SIDE CURTAIN CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED- MAR.31. 1919.

. 38,458. Patented Dec. 12,1922

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SPRING ROLLER SIDE CURTAlN CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION meo MAR. 31. 1919.

1 43 45 Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

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SPRING-ROLLER SIDE-CUPJTAFLN CONSTRUCTION FQE'AUTQIVEOBILES.

Application filed. nil-ca 31, 1919. Serial No. 286,324.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known tha l, Lo *rs l a citizen of the U; ed States, the city and county oit'Denver E Colorado, have invented col ..1 new and useful improvements in Soring-Ydoller Side- Curtain Constructions for iiiutomobiles; and

I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such adapted to accommodate transparent sec ble 111 561 tions set into the curtain su the fiat spaces bei which are sides the roller, there being tween the transparent sect-ion flexible so that the curtain may be wound around the polygonal-shaped roller without injury to the transparent sections which are preferably composed of glass. The roller is mounted above the side opening of the automobile top, in such a manner that it may be pulled down and raised in the same manner as window shade mounted on a spring roller of ordinary construction.

Provision is made at the opposite front corners, or at the opposite ends the windshield-for closing spaceswhich would otherwise be left between the ends ot' the curtains and the windshield. For this purpose I employ corner members, ea eh of which is provided with a transparent section of suitable area. Furthermore, at each end ot-the windshield, and acje nt the corner housing, 1 equip the windsheld with a weather strip member adapted to close narrow space which would otherwise be left between the end of the windshield and the corner housing, this weather strip member also having a flexible part which closes the narrow space between the movable part c 1 windshield and the stationary upright irame bar.

Having brietl outlined my improvement,

I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reterence being); made to the accompanying i drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. in this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation ot an automobile body equipped with my improvement. s I

F 2 is atop plan view of the same, showing the 'toppartly broken away.

Fig. 8 is-a-top view in detail of my improved sidc curtain roller [construction shown on a larger scale than in the 'previ ous views. r

Fig. 4 is a side view olthe roller showing the curtain unwound therefrom and in approximately the same position asshown in l, but on a larger scale.

broken away. I

Fig. 6 is a tragmentary view of the roller and curtain structure, illustrating the man nor of mounting the roller at one end, the

' arts beinp' shown on a larQ'er scale than in a I 4 a p in. 5. i a i Fig. 7 is a detail view of the corner housing, looking in'the direction of arrow 7, Fig.6.

Figs. 8 and9 are views-looking in the direction oi arrows 8 and 9, respectively, ailin -.6.

FigzlO is an end view of a roller member, having but two flat sides.

F 11 is similarview of a'roller member with three sides.

J; 1g. 5 is a detail view of the roller partly,

Fig; 12 is a "fragmentary frontxview of an automobile b'ooy equipped wlth' my. 1m- Y provemenjt, the weather strip member being in. place between the end of the windshield I and the corner housing.

13 is across section of the weather strip member shown on a larger scale.

vFig. 14 is an elevation Off the same on a smaller scale but still larger than in Fig. 12. The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.- Let the numeral 5 designatean automobile top, the frame or" which is equipped on each side with rod or bar 6, havingg'a relatively long part, 7, extending lengthwise of the top and having," projecting parts, 8

and 9, at its opposite ends, in which a spring roller, 10, is mounted in the usual manner, one of the end pins 12 engaging the part 8 to prevent rotary movement, while the opposite pin 13 is mounted to rotate in the usual or customary manner of a spring roller. The offset 8 is connected with the stationary top bar lei of the windshield, as shown at 15, and in such amanner that it may be readily detached. This connection 15 is of such character th the forward extremity of the bar 6 is suitably supported when the roller is in use for regulating the curtain '16. The opposite end of the bar 6 is pivotally connected as shown at 1'1", with a stationary part 18, mounted on the'upper portion of the framework of the top 5,, whereby the bar 6 and the roller supported thereby, together with the curtain upon the roller, may be swung from the full-line to the dotted-line position in Fig.2, when for any rea- 150i! it is not desired to employ the curtain.

In the main views, the roller 10 is composed of a number of spider-shaped members 19, having parallel longitudinally disposed parts at the extremities of the arms 21 which, as shown in the main views, are three in number. The bars 20 extend the full length of the roller, which in this form of construction .is triangular in crosssection, the spaces between the bars 20 being closed by canvas, 22, whereby the roller is-made relatively light. Each of the spiders 19 has a central hub, provided with an opening through which the spring rollermember passes and in which this member is secured to allow it to operate in the usual manner during the manipulation of the curtain. T his curtain is composed of suitable flexible material, as canvas, 24, in which are set at suitable intervals transparent sections 25, which may be composed of glass of suitable strength. The longitudinally disposed areas of the curtain in which the transparent sections are placed, are so arranged as to cover the sides of the roller, the transparent sections-being of suitable area to enable those within the car to have a suflicient view therethrough. There is a suitable areavof can" vas between the longitudinal areas in which the transparent sections 25 are located to permit! the curtain to wind upon and unwind from the roller freely, as will'be readily understood from an inspection of the drawing. 7 j In order to close the spacewhich would otherwise be lettvbet-ween each end of the windshield and the front edge of the curtain, I provide corner housings, 26, each of which is so disposed that its longitudinal dimension is vertical, while its transverse dimension is diagonally positioned, its inward forward edge having aflange, 27, which is slotted as shown at .28, toreceive bolts with.

which the windshield is provided. T he nuts with which these bolts are normally provided are removed ,when the housing member placed in position and afterwards screwed upon the bolts against the flange 2? to hold the housing in place. The housing is provided with a transparent section 29 oi suiiicient area to provide a good view in the direction of these housings.

Secured to each of the stationary end bars oft-he windshield is a weather strip memher 30, which is composed of two plates, 31 and 32, connected by fastening rivets 33, one of the plates being otl'set on opposite sides, as shown at 34, to form grooves in which flexible strips 35 may be secured, these strips extending beyond the plates and sealing the space between the vertical bar of the wind shield and the movable inner portions of the shield on one side, and the space between the housing 26 and the vertical bar 01 the windshield on the other side.

In the event that the roller hasonlytwo sides, as shown in 10, the roller-supporting members 36 will each have but two arms 37. .vhicli are connected with longitudinally disposed rigid parts 38, which will be connected by canvas sides, 39, of sufficient area to accommodate the transparent sections 25 of the curtain. i

from the foregoing description, the use and operation of my improvement will, it is believed, be readily understood without fur-' ther explanation in detail. I

I claim:

1. In combination, an automobile top and windshield, an upper support in said top, a spring roller carried by said support and connected therewith in cooperativerelation, a curtain attached to the roller and having areas provided with. transparent sections, a front corner housing cooperating with the curtain to close the space between the wind shield andthe adjacentiront end ofv the curtain, and a weather strip member applied to the windshield and serving to close the space between the windshield and the corner housing. s

- 2. In c0mbination,'an automobile top and windshield, an upper supper t, a spring roller carried by said support and connected there with in cooperative relation, a curtain attached to the roller and having areas prr.

vided with transparent sections, a front corner housing; cooperatingwith the curtain to close the space between the windshield and the adjacent front end of the curtain, and a weather strip member mounted on the stationary end bar of the windshield and adapted to close the space between the corner housing! and the said bar and also bet-ween the said bar and the movable part of the windshield.

35in combination, an automoblle, a top and detachably connected at the other 'end Wit-h the Windshield, a, spring roller mounteci OII'Sflld support, a ourtaln mounted on sald roller, sald curtaln havlng a plurality of transparent sections, and sziid roller having a plurallty of flat faces'to accommodate said sections "when rolled, whereby the 10 transparent sections Will not be bent when the curtain 1s rolled up.

In testimony whereof affix my signature.

LOUIS K. MULFORD. 

